Seniors are suffering abuse and neglect across Bermuda and the agency responsible for investigating is doing nothing about it, Opposition MP Derrick Burgess alleged yesterday.

The Shadow Seniors Minister claimed he personally told Health Minister Jeanne Atherden about one case of neglect in a care home, which led to an elderly person becoming malnourished, but understood nothing came of his complaint.

The politician spoke out after The Royal Gazette revealed yesterday that the National Office for Seniors and the Physically Challenged (NOSPC) was accused of failing to investigate an allegation of elder abuse involving an 85-year-old mentally ill and blind woman — a charge the NOSPC denies.

This newspaper reported that the Ministry of Health stonewalled questions about who is presently in charge of the Senior Abuse Register, how many cases of elder abuse are investigated by the NOSPC each year and how many have led to prosecutions under the Senior Abuse Register Act 2008.

Mr Burgess said it was vital that Government told the public the name of the Senior Abuse Registrar and released information on how the NOSPC was managing its caseload of elder abuse complaints.

“I have shown the Minister pictures of inadequate care,” said Mr Burgess. “They would sicken a person. In one particular case, the family complained to the National Office, even went to the police. The National Office said everything was fine.

“A charity eventually moved this person and when they assisted him he had malnutrition and dehydration. Nothing was done. No type of action was taken against the particular home.

“It seems like because someone is elderly, certain things are not taken seriously.”

The Progressive Labour Party MP said the NOSPC, which gets almost $1 million annually from the public purse, was not an effective agency and admitted that was also the case under the previous PLP Government, as the late Opposition MP Louise Jackson used to regularly allege.

Citing the Senior Abuse Register Act, the Residential Care Homes and Nursing Homes Act 1999 and the Residential Care Homes Regulations 2001, Mr Burgess said legislation was in place to protect seniors but wasn’t being enforced.

He said an independent oversight body should be to set up to inspect residential and nursing homes to ensure they were meeting certain standards, adding that every allegation of elder abuse on the Island should be thoroughly investigated.

His comments were supported by Carol Everson, welfare case worker for the Bermuda Legion charity, which is responsible for the welfare of Bermuda’s war veterans and widows.

“In the last ten years, I have been unable to find any use for the National Office and not one of my qualified community have been helped by them in spite of quite a few going down trying to get help for elderly relatives who are war veterans or widows,” she said.

“Some have come away quite distressed. Some have come away from there feeling their complaints were quite irrelevant.”

Ms Everson said the NOSPC, which is currently under review by the Ministry of Health, should be closed and agreed with Mr Burgess that an independent office should be set up to monitor standards in care homes.

Elizabeth Stewart, from Action on Alzheimer’s and Dementia, said: “Care home inspections are once a year.

“Is that adequate? I don’t think so, especially when you walk in and see them.

“There is not enough oversight.”

Asked to respond to Mr Burgess’s criticism and to The Royal Gazette’s questions on senior abuse, a Ministry of Health spokeswoman said Ms Atherden has received Mr Burgess’ suggestion of an independent body to inspect residential care facilities.

“Currently, NOSPC is responsible for coordinating the inspection of homes as well as investigating complaints about the care provided in those homes,” she said.

“In addition, they carry out the responsibilities mandated under the Senior Abuse Register Act.

“The Minister recognises that there may need to be some separation between those responsible for inspections to ensure compliance with regulations and the correction of deficiencies and the investigation of complaints about the care provided to seniors either in or outside of care homes.

“Ultimately, this decision will be made upon completion of the review of NOSPC.”

She said the ongoing evaluation of NOSPC will provide a “holistic review” of the operating/service delivery model, and help to provide a reliable and responsive service for seniors, people with disabilities and other vulnerable members of the community.